Morpheme
-ean
Type
suffix
Denotation
adjective suffix “pertaining to, characterized by, tending to” often corresponding to -ea, -eaus, -eaum, -eae, and -aea nouns
Etymology
suffixal construction from (1) -(a)ea, -(a)eus, -(a)eum (from Ancient Greek -aîos, from -a + -ios) + -(a)n(e) and (2) -eae + -(a)n(e)
Evidence
Acerean, Aegean, ammonoidean, aurorean, Boolean, Caesarean, Citrean, cochlean, cyanean, cyclopean, cystoidean, Descartesean, Ecuadorean, esophagean, Euclidean, European, exaspidean, Fortean, glottidean, holaspidean, Iridean, Jamesean, Joycean, Kuchean, Lactucean, Nicaean, nicotinean, octopodean, oesophagean, omohyoidean, Orchidean, pycnaspidean, Qatnean, Rousseauean, Rubean, Shakespearean, Sisyphean, taxaspidean, trachean, zephyrean
Notes
also spelled -aean and -æan but only Nicaean consistently maintains the -aean spelling
